Venue Coordinator vs. Event Coordinator – Are they the same?

The simple answer…no. A venue coordinator is not an event coordinator and an event coordinator is not a venue coordinator but they do work together to accomplish the same goal. 

A lot of venues now will include a venue coordinator in their packages as added value, some may just simply call them a event coordinator. This looks great to brides and grooms, thinking they’re getting a day-of planner included with their package. While the venue coordinators are a great resource and certainly help on your special day, there’s one large difference – their first job is to protect the venue, not the client. 

So let’s talk about what each of them do. 

Venue Coordinators are great to have on-site during set-up and they’re going to be your best resource during that time. Whether you need an extra table, want to add F&B, or have questions on what you can and cannot do on-site – they’re going to be your go-to option. Most are available before the wedding but not 100% and not until about a month (or less) prior. As a venue coordinator, they are hosting events every weekend, if not daily depending on the venue and how high-demand it may be. This means, that they generally aren’t going to help you with your vendors, they are not going to assist with decor selections, and they don’t have the availability to know the ins and outs and every little detail for each of their events because they’re only one person. 

Event Coordinators jobs are very different – it is our job to know each of our events just as well as the client does. Event planners are your first line of communication, when the couple needs anything, we take care of it. One of our biggest responsibilities is to anticipate where there could be issues and fix them before the bride and groom even knows about it. (Side note/PSA: Things do go wrong at EVERY event – it’s inevitable but IT’S OKAY – that’s why you have an event planner!)